WordPress Contributions Building a Transparent System for a Stronger Community

Over 43% of the web runs on WordPress, yet there is no clear, transparent way to track contributions or identify areas needing the most help. Hari Shanker and Isotta Peira are full-time sponsored WordPress Contributors and Community Program Managers, have been acutely aware of this problem. They have been working on a host of community programs and have also been focusing on improving the contributor experience of WordPress. For a while, they have been thinking about the best way to guide WordPress contributors to projects that need help and how to make an impact with the help of clear data. Through this session, Isotta and Hari plan to advocate for a WordPress contribution dashboard that will solve these problems. Both Hari and Isotta experience the frustration of not having a transparent system to visualize contributions and identify gaps. Without this clarity, valuable contributions may go unnoticed, and critical areas in need of support might be overlooked. They believe that by implementing a system to track and display contributions across the WordPress project, the community could be better informed, more strategic, and more united in its efforts. This visibility would not only help direct resources and energy to where they are most needed but also recognize and celebrate the efforts of all contributors, fostering a stronger, more cohesive community committed to the growth and success of WordPress. Additionally, they advocate for collecting and analyzing metrics on how visitors use WordPress.org. Understanding user behavior on platforms like Learn.WordPress.org, WordPress.tv, and the documentation pages can provide insights into what resources are most valuable, where users struggle, and what areas need enhancement. This data would enable a more user-centric approach to improving WordPress.org, ensuring it serves the community’s needs more effectively and continues to support the growth and development of the WordPress ecosystem.